In the Beginning
by RooOJoy
Summary: "Hey Weasley," she said, her voice purring confidently. He wasn't prepared for his body's reaction. His heart began to race, and the bubble in his stomach was unfamiliar yet exciting. It was the twitch in his pants that almost made him physically jump.


A/N: Written for the Facebook group, Weasleys, Witches, & Writers, Pumpkin & Ginger Fall Fest. Thanks to Rosella_Burgundy for her unending support. I own nothing!

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**In the Beginning**  
by RooOJoy

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The leaves were barely hanging on the tree branches. The ones that managed to keep their hold were still vibrant shades of orange, red, and yellow, but the crunch under their feet as they walked hand in hand was the sure sign that fall was coming to a close. The crisp air was refreshing, and luckily the gentle breeze kept the flame on his cheeks from becoming too evident.

He was nervous.

"I'm not complaining, but where are we going?" Molly asked, her voice light as she grabbed his hand and wrapped her other palm in the crook of his elbow.

Arthur squeezed his fingers against the ones intertwined with his own. "Just a walk around. What do you think of this place?"

"I like it. It has a peaceful feeling about it. I'm happy to be spending some time with you too. That new job of yours has you working too much."

He smiled to himself at her chiding tone. He'd been working hard the past six months since their graduation, but she didn't know that not all of that time was because he was working. He needed to make sure everything was just right for them.

"I want to make a good impression." The words weren't a lie, but he meant for her to think they were based upon his Ministry position.

Molly looked up to him, her radiant smile making his stomach flip as his heart sped up a beat. "How could anyone not fall in love with you?" she asked.

He remembered that first smile she gave him, or at least the one he noticed. She liked to tease him that he was never aware of how easily he affected the girls of Hogwarts.

_Arthur sped through the halls on his way to Charms when he rounded the corner and almost fell over a mass of girls on the floor. It took only a moment to realize they were huddled on the ground picking up a dozen or so books that lay scattered in the hallway along with parchment and quills, and other various things one might keep in their school bag. _

_Moving close to the wall in the attempt to avoid walking through the mess and go around the small group, he was momentarily held up. Luck never did seem to be on his side in situations such as these, as one of the girls suddenly stood up and knocked into him. _

"_Oh, I'm so sorry," she rushed out, placing a hand on his upper arm. As he began to wave off her apology and hurry around her she looked up to his face. She faltered a bit, her eyes widening, and pink beginning to blossom over her cheekbones. She suddenly looked embarrassed, and he had absolutely no understanding of why. _

_Arthur avoided the girl's gaze and stumbled through his words, "Uh, excuse me, ladies. Just passing through - onto Charms class." _

"_No rush there, Weasley. It'll only be a moment." It was then that Arthur noticed Molly Prewett. He should have recognized that commanding voice from the Common Room, she always had a way of getting the attention of a crowd. He pressed himself farther into the wall as the petite girl raised her wand as if she was corraling first years. "It's okay, Betty Jean. Here, let me see your bag, I'll patch this right up for you. _Reparo!"

_The thick denim material of the bag was instantly sealed, and it seemed as though Molly had made it more sturdy as well. Another flick of Molly's wand and the contents of Betty Jean's bag were levitated in the air, righting themselves neatly, and floating gently inside the open flap. _

_His attention was on the firm grip of the wand Molly held. Her fingernails were trimmed neatly and the way she held her wand, he could begin to make out the long planes of her forearm. His eyes didn't stop when the magic did, and he continued to take in every other part of the girl. She was shorter than most others in their year, the top of her head barely coming to his chin, but somehow that didn't seem to hinder the way she held herself. Her light shade of loosely curled auburn locks swung around her round face. It was as he continued his observation of the rest of her body, that he noticed Molly Prewett was not the bossy, little thing he had regarded her as since they had first started Hogwarts together six years ago. She had grown into a woman, and quite the perfect looking witch if he actually let his mind go there. _

_A loud clearing of someone's throat brought him back to the present, and he shifted his eyes to the scene. The heat crawled up his neck to wash over his cheeks and ears as he only then noticed what he'd been doing - ogling Molly Prewett like she was one of those centrefold girls in the Muggle magazines his parents knew nothing about._

_He looked down at his shoes, and the gathering of girls giggled. They began to pick up their own belongings and he slowly edged away. Unfortunately, he only moved a step when they had formed a line across the hall, a barrier that he wasn't going to move around unless he was rather rude and pushed through. Sighing to himself, he fell in line behind them and wondered what on earth he was thinking eyeing up Prewett. She had two older brothers that he knew would not approve of his actions. He really didn't want to end up on the wrong end of one of their hexes - he'd probably spend the rest of his life with toad's skin the way their humour mingled with their charms. _

_Turning around the last corner, the gaggle of girls huddled around the classroom door waiting for the Professor to open it. Other classmates leaned against the stone walls while idly chatting. Arthur stood by attempting to nonchalantly listen to the whispered conversation of the girls. Hushed words floated to where he stood, "totally staring at you", "he's dreamy", "ask him, Molly". _

_He felt his ears flame again and shifted his weight as he readjusted his shoulder bag and pretended to be very interested in a loose stitch of his jumper. The door opened then, and he was relieved he'd have ninety minutes to distract himself from the situation. Everyone began to file into the room, but the girls held back all eyeing him curiously. _

_Finally, Betty Jean smiled kindly at him and turned to Molly to thank her before heading to class. The others followed her, a couple of them smiling at him as they passed. However, Molly held back and stood there staring at him, her lips growing wider by the second. _

"_Hey Weasley," she said, her voice purring confidently. He wasn't prepared for his body's reaction. His heart began to race, and the bubble in his stomach was unfamiliar yet exciting. It was the twitch in his pants that almost made him physically jump._

_He knew his face must be showing exactly his thoughts, but he cleared his throat and attempted to give her a smile as self-assured as she seemed. "Prewett." _

_Her deep brown eyes softened, and her smile shifted so that a tiny dimple formed in her right cheek. He'd never noticed that before. The silence in the hallway was becoming uncomfortable; he didn't know what to do or say. All he knew was that he had known this girl for the past six years, but today was the day he actually noticed her. _

_It was as if everything he'd known about her before came together and fit like a completed puzzle. He was hopelessly attracted to her. He knew she was smart, but what he now put into place was how much passion she lived with. She was courageous and loyal to her friends. She had no problem in helping anyone and lived with a confidence that was inspiring. And, bloody hell, she was fit. _

"_Well, I guess we should get to Charms," she said, beginning to move towards the door. _

_Arthur wasn't sorted into Gryffindor for no reason. His daring, albeit impulsive, nature leapt to the front of his tongue and he blurted out, "Go to Hogsmeade with me?" _

_She stopped and her face searched his for a moment before her lips turned up into a radiant smile. He briefly wondered if she knew what that smile, one that he was able to give her, did to every part of his being. _

"_I'd like that, Arthur."_

They had been walking in circles, Arthur carefully guiding her away from the grandest of surprises he had in store for her today. He couldn't shake the massive bouts of anxiety, and he could feel his shaky hands sweating as he led her towards the young apple orchard.

"You seem nervous. Spit it out before I hex you into spilling your secrets."

Her tone made him laugh, and he felt himself relax. He pulled her next to one of the saplings. The sweet smell of apples mixed with other scents of fall made the moment perfect. He knew from this day forward, he would remember exactly how the leaves fluttered in the breeze, and how the clear blue sky ahead was the first one they'd had in over a fortnight. He would remember that Molly wore a hunter green cloak that made her eyes even brighter and the way her rosy lips would twitch up in a small smile every other second. Turning her to him, he moved his hands up and down her arms.

"Molly, we have a child on the way." She nodded, and her smile faltered for a fraction, but her gaze never left his. He knew she trusted him, and he knew that she wasn't going to shy away from their situation. She was a brave one, this witch. "Well, now that we're out of school, and I have secured a position with the Ministry, I think it's time to tell our families."

Molly glanced down to the ground as her hands went to embrace her barely swollen stomach. Arthur knew that this was a sore subject for her, but he wanted her to know that he was there, he wasn't going to have her go through anything alone. Lifting her chin with one of his fingers, he guided her face up. Her eyes glistened and threatened to release the tears that were quickly forming.

"I want you to be my wife. I want to take care of you and the baby. I want this today, tomorrow, and forever."

The tears slid down her cheeks, and her lip quivered, but she only lifted her chin defiantly. "I don't want you to marry me because I'm up the duff. I can handle what will be thrown my way."

He knew she was upset, but he smiled softly at her stubbornness. His heart was so full; he didn't even know loving someone this much was possible. "I don't want to marry you for that reason either. I have wanted to marry you since that day in the Charms corridor."

Her eyes narrowed in thought, and she shook her head slowly as if it would help jog a memory to the surface. "What day?"

"The day I realized that there is more to Molly Prewett than making sure everyone else is doing what they should. The day I noticed that you had filled out quite a bit in all the best places," he told her, as he slid his hand down her arms to quickly pinch her arse. She swatted him and blushed for a moment before giving him one of her looks that had him struggling to stay focused.

"I realized that there was no other witch on this earth that would make me feel that way again. You love to help people, and some may call you bossy, but I think you're wonderful at taking care of people and bringing the best out in them. You have had my heart since then, and I want you to have it forever. Please tell me that you will marry me."

He watched as her features softened, and he pulled the simple ring from his pocket to hold it out to her. The moment of her fierce determination melted away as she noticed his gesture, and the dimple that he loved so much dipped into her cheek. Her lips pulled up and her eyes shed more tears, but they were for a different reason he hoped.

She nodded, and in his excitement, he wrapped his arms around her and spun her around. Giggling like the young adults they still were, he set her back on her feet, pushed the band on her finger, and kissed her deeply. The sensation of their lips melting together, tongues lapping against each other in a dance they had yet to perfect was simply breathtaking in the moment.

Breaking their kiss, he rested his forehead against hers. "There's more I have to show you," Arthur told her breathlessly.

Waving his wand in a wide arc, he released the spell he had cast to hide his other secret. It wasn't much, a small cottage in the middle of the field. It was one story with a ceiling that went to the rafters to make the space appear larger. There was a wide hearth and a spacious kitchen, and Arthur was sure that between Molly and himself they could charm some more room for when the baby arrived. The best part was the land that surrounded the space. It had a quaint hedge that separated the garden from the back door, a small pond not far away, and rolling hills of woods and meadows.

"Oh, Arthur, this is ours? Our home?"

He looked at her, relishing in joy at the shocked look Molly wore. "Yes, it's ours. I call it the Burrow."

She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at him. "Hmm, the _Burrow_ . . . like a habitat for your weasel Patronus you're so fond of." He blinked slowly letting her get used to the name. Finally, he knew she thought it was brilliant by the sparkle in her eye. "I think it's perfect."

"I think you're perfect." Turning into him, she laid her head against his chest, and he inhaled her scent deeply, his arms wrapping around her instinctively. "This is our home, Molly _Weasley_. We're going to have babies running everywhere."

She gasped and looked up to him her mouth round with disbelief. "Teasing, teasing." He held his hands up in surrender and smirked. She rested her head against his chest again, and he kissed the top of her head. "Think of all the memories we will share here."

He felt her smile, and she placed a gentle kiss on the tip of his chin before she looked out to their new house. "Let's just take it slow, okay? One thing at a time and the first thing is to tell our families that we're getting married."


End file.
